Due to an impending trip out of the country in a month and a half, I went to see a nurse to be immunized to anything nasty floating around the Caribbean and Brazil. The result was four shots in the shoulders, two in each side. Currently, I have small portions of yellow fever, Hepatitis A, influenza and a dep-tet booster swimming around in my body. I may be overcome with nausea within the next five days, but not necessarily.

As my body fights off prevalent diseases, my mind is thinking of another disease. Thanks to Traffic, an exceptional movie that deals with several aspects of America's War on Drugs, newspapers and magazines have jumped on the topic of addiction. The media delves into how drug addiction affects the mind, what tactics the DEA takes to keep narcotics out of the country, and what treatment options are available.

In all of these articles and columns, I have yet to read one simple fact about human nature--we all are wired to have addictive personalities. I read about how the addict's mind is stimulated by continued use of a drug, speeding up the neurotransmitters in our pleasure zones. These areas are artificially sped up to increase dopamine or seratonin production giving addicts a feeling of relief or euphoria.

While it is true that drugs cater to our addictive needs, I don't hear about all the other aspects of life in which we become obsessed (even without drugs). First and foremost, let's think about sex. Our culture feeds on it. Strip clubs, TV shows, advertisements, dance halls, men and women in tight, revealing clothing. I'm not going to discuss the particular aspects of orgasms, but suffice it to say, the little bursts of euphoria can make the most sane individual a desperate addict. Do we stop people at the border promising not to have sex unless in a meaningful relationship? Do we crack down on men who go to clubs looking for one night stands? Of course not, sex is a natural part of life (kind of like marijuana).

What about sports? Anyone who is watching the XFL right now is addicted to football. It's crappy play with fireworks. Many football fans combine addictions by eating entirely too much and drinking heavily. Do we tell these fools to get treatment? Do we arrest them for possession of Raiders paraphernalia? Of course not, watching sports helps people release the tension from the work day while relaxing on the couch (kind of like heroin).

What about shopping? Our economy thrives on people going out and spending their hard-earned money on cars, watches, bubble gum, high tech gadgets, clothes, trips out of the country, and anything else that is in demand. People can easily drop a thousand dollars in a weekend on things they don't need (like cocaine). This is why the drug trade works in spite of our government's best efforts. If there is demand, there will always be supply. Which is better to buy, a quarter pound of marijuana for $120 that you smoke for half a year or a thousand dollar treadmill that you stop using in three months?

We are all addicts. We all do something to such a degree that is unhealthy. And the range of choices reaches far beyond drugs and alcohol. Some people eat too much, some people eat next to nothing, some people eat only health food (by the way, vegans are hard-core addicts). Some people are addicted to one tiny minuscule topic which they research for years and years. While they are called academia and scholars, they are addicts to the information. Some people like cars. Really fast, shiny cars with turbo suspension. They think of very little else. This is unhealthy. Some people go to church every day. Every single day! Some people have seen every Friends episode multiple times. Is this a better lifestyle than a junkie?

I myself have unhealthy habits pertaining to sports, music, marijuana, movies, painkillers, television, writing and alcohol. Good thing I never started smoking cigarettes, eh? Some day, it is very likely one or several of these obsessions will contribute to the fall and ruin of my life. Sometimes, I do rather well about maintaining and keeping everything in moderation, but sometimes, oh sometimes...

So I'm an addict, and so are you. And if they come out with a shot that makes people immune to addiction, I'll let them stick another needle in my shoulder. It's just another disease my body has to fight off.

Chris Jungle refuses to get help because he is afraid of getting addicted to re-hab.